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The Muslims residents of Cobb County under the leadership of East Cobb Islamic Center (ECIC) has recently obtained approval for what is the largest Muslim cemetery in Georgia. This 12.5 acre cemetery land is located at 2376 John Petree Road off Macland Road in west Cobb. This property was acquired in May 2015 for $335,000 and is completely paid off by donations raised by ECIC in collaboration with other mosques in Cobb County.

This project was supported in concept and with donations by many mosques in the area. These mosques included East Cobb Islamic Center, Masjid Ibad-ur-Rahman, Masjid Al-Hedaya, Masjid Furqan, Masjid Al-Farooq, Roswell Community Masjid, and Masjid Suffah.

The need for this project was evident for Muslim residents of northwestern metro-Atlanta suburbs. Metro Atlanta has long been served by a Muslim cemetery in Lovejoy operated by Masjid Al-Farooq. This cemetery was established in early 1980’s and consists of about 6 acres land. The cemetery is more than an hour drive from Cobb County. About 60% of cemetery land is already used and burials are taking place at a much faster rate than ever before. The remaining land in this cemetery will likely be used up faster than many may realize.

The other significant cemetery is in the Lawrenceville area which is the northeastern metro-Atlanta suburb. The capacity of this cemetery is also limited. Geographically the western part of the metro area has no Muslim Cemetery. Hence there was a real need for a Muslim cemetery in western metro Atlanta. For the past year, ECIC management has been researching land options in Cobb, Cherokee, Paulding, and Douglas counties. The search criteria included affordable cost, size greater than 10 acres, no zoning restrictions for cemetery use, no rock in the ground, low ground water table, and no significant water bodies on the properties. After examining various properties, ECIC was fortunate to find the land that fit all the criteria.

Upon acquisition of this property, ECIC proceeded to raise the money needed to develop the initial phase of the property: building a driveway, parking, detention pond, and miscellaneous items. In April of 2016, their engineers obtained permits from Cobb County to start the construction for the cemetery. A permit from Georgia DOT was also obtained for access to Macland Road.

ECIC is now in the process of awarding the contract to a contractor and hopes to have the cemetery construction completed by August, 2016. The property to be named ECIC Cemetery will be professionally maintained, fenced off and gated from adjacent roadway. Arrangements for funeral services will be outsourced and alternatives are being evaluated at this time. It is anticipated that this property can accommodate over 9800 burial sites. Burial plots will not be sold to individuals. They will instead be offered for a reasonable price to members of the Muslim community who need a plot for their loved one who have just passed away.

Although the money raised last year is slightly short of what is needed to complete the work, the organizers are hopeful that remainder of the funds will become available during the month of Ramadan. If you wish to donate for this cause, please visit the cemetery page.

For any questions on this project, please contact ECIC at eastcobbislamiccenter@gmail.com.

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